Single market, competition & trade
Brexit will make Britain's mediocre economic record worse
19 September 2016
Britain is already an average economic performer by Western European standards. Brexit will further sap its economic dynamism and aggravate startling regional disparities
Theresa May and her six-pack of difficult deals
28 July 2016
Theresa May’s ministers need to negotiate not just one Brexit deal, but six. They must charm not only EU governments, but also every WTO member.
Why young people are right to fear Brexit
17 June 2016
Even Brexiters admit that there will be short-term economic costs to leaving the EU. Young people would disproportionately bear the brunt, and the effects would be long-lasting.
Storm in a Turkish tea cup
16 June 2016
Despite what Brexiters say, Turkey will not join the European Union anytime soon.
Can Britain join Norway in the EEA?
09 June 2016
Pro-EU MPs might try to force the UK to accept membership of the EEA – the ‘Norway option’ – if Britain votes to leave the EU. Charles Grant and John Springford debate whether this is likely.
Bulletin Issue 108 - June/July 2016
27 May 2016
- Why Britain voted to leave (if it does...), Charles Grant
- Five Brexit economic myths, Simon Tilford
- The EU after Bremain: Kiss and make up?, Ian Bond
Five Brexit economic myths
26 May 2016
Key Brexiter arguments – EU regulation and immigration are costly; the EU damages UK trade and investment; Brexit would bring fiscal gains – have no basis in reality.
TTIP is no reason to leave the EU
17 May 2016
Opposition to TTIP has become a rallying cry for Brexiters. They are relying on myths about trade agreements, TTIP and the NHS.
How to save the ideas behind TTIP
11 May 2016
European politicians face an increasingly hostile debate on TTIP. They need to show how TTIP avoids past trade policy failures and improves European regulation.
The economic consequences of leaving the EU: The final report of the CER commission on Brexit 2016
21 April 2016
After leaving the EU, the UK would face an invidious choice: sign up to EU rules and the free movement of labour, or suffer economic damage.
Europe after Brexit: Unleashed or undone?
15 April 2016
If Britain left the EU, the character of the Union would change. The UK has driven economic liberalisation and foreign policy co-operation, and has made the EU's machinery more efficient.
Shaping 21st century trade: TTIP, global standards and multilateralism
08 April 2016
If TTIP is open to other countries, a deal can reduce the cost of business while setting new global benchmarks and rules for trade.
Bulletin Issue 107 - April/May 2016
23 March 2016
- Cameron's deal is more than it seems, Charles Grant
- Into the bazaar of EU-Turkey relations, Rem Korteweg
- Why the EU's market matters to Britain, John Springford
Why the EU's market matters to Britain
23 March 2016
Three economic rules explain why the UK should prioritise trade with the EU over the rest of the world.
Would an 'independent' Britain want to join the single market?
24 February 2016
Three economic rules mean that Britain would seek to join the EU's single market if it were not already a member.
Brexit and EU regulation: A bonfire of the vanities?
03 February 2016
EU rules are no straitjacket for the British economy, and repealing them would be damaging: divergent regulations between the EU and the UK would curb trade and investment.
European competitiveness, revisited
19 January 2016
European ‘competitiveness’ should be defined as productivity, and the policies to raise it are complex and counter-specific. Raising ‘competitiveness’ also requires more, not less democracy.
Has the euro been a failure?
11 January 2016
The euro has not been a positive economic and political force. But keeping the single currency together could still be less risky than dismantling it.
25 years on: How the euro's architects erred
05 November 2015
The original plans for the euro – conceived 25 years ago – suffered from five major flaws. Only some of these flaws have been fixed.
Gain or more pain in Spain?
19 October 2015
Spain is no poster child for austerity and structural reforms. The recovery is less than it appears and the country faces some formidable challenges.